Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Italian sausage
1 (1-pound) can tomato puree
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Heat the olive oil in a big saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the chopped onion for three to four minutes, or until it becomes transparent. Next, add the minced garlic and continue cooking for a minute more.
Add the Italian sausage to the pot, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease.
Stir in the tomato puree, 1/4 cup of water, salt, black pepper, and oregano. After lowering the heat to low, simmer the sauce for thirty minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni pasta in a separate pot of generously salted boiling water until it is almost al dente (slightly undercooked). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside, then drain the remaining water from the pasta.
Add the cooked rigatoni pasta to the sauce along with 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir everything together to combine. If the mixture seems dry, add more pasta water as needed.
Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
Bake the pasta in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese starts to turn golden.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Pasta al Forno, or baked pasta, is a comforting and flavorful dish that combines rigatoni pasta with a rich tomato and sausage sauce. The pasta is baked with a generous amount of melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese, creating a deliciously cheesy and satisfying meal. Enjoy this classic Italian dish as a main course for a hearty and comforting dinner.